Blu-ray Review: The Jungle Book
It was a monster hit last spring and now The Jungle Book has come home to Blu-ray allowing fans to relive the adventure again and again. While expected to be a formidable box office hit for Disney, industry expectations were shattered when it opened last April to a jaw-dropping $103.3M on its way to $364M and counting (hey, it's still playing in 57 theaters five months later). Worldwide, the Jon Favreau-directed monster has collected a staggering $964M.
The visual effects are just brilliant from start to finish. All characters are computer-generated and voiced by actors in sound booths with the exception of the central character Mowgli played by newcomer Neel Sethi. While nothing beats the big screen, the blu-ray here still captures the intensity of the feature film and for children who are a little younger, it may play better on the small screen as the theatrical experience could be too much for some.
Bonus features include two interesting docs that are worth watching. There is "The Jungle Book Reimagined" which spends over a half-hour going behind the scenes to examine how the classic story was brought to the big screen using today's computer VFX. Favreau certainly has over a decade of experience with special effects films but this movie required a whole new challenge. Also there is the much shorter "I Am Mowgli" which chronicles the journey of young actor Sethi, previously unknown, who takes on the one live-action role in the film. Kid actors often tell the stories of how they got cast in their first major gig and this one does not disappoint. Just watch him talk about the "diaper" he had to wear!
Though teetering on the border of PG and PG-13, The Jungle Book makes for a great adventure for kids who are a little older as well as adults. The grosses demand a sequel, and another installment with the core team is indeed in the planning stages already.
Blu-ray Title: The Jungle Book
Review by Gitesh Pandya
Run Time: 106 minutes
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
NOW AVAILABLE
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